Ankum
Ankum is an ancient warrior, and former admiral of the Water Tribe. He is currently the leader of the Endolise Tribe, and a member of the Society of Guardians. Biography Early life Originally a member of the Water Tribe on Spherus Magna, much of Ankum's early life is a mystery, though it is known he was among the most promising of his tribe's rookies at the time. He would go on to begin a journey around the world, seeking to learn the combat techniques of the numerous tribes and races and add to his already considerable skill. This resulted in his reputation being spread throught the regions of Spherus Magna, his name even becoming whispered amongst the ranks of the Rock Tribe. Eventually, Ankum heard a legend of a powerful and allegedly mythical warrior named Morkain, and eventually sought him out to see if his combat skills were true as great as the stories claimed. Eventually, Ankum managed to track down Morkain and confirm his existense. Seing potential in Ankum, Morkain agreed to teach Ankum everything he knew, and the two soon developed a strong bond and friendship. The pair eventually completed Ankum's training and parted ways, though still kept in touch for a long time. Ankum would return to his village, soon becoming one of its most celebrated inhabitants. During this time, Ankum passed his his skills onto other warriors, including the Jungle warriors named Lekrex and Korjek. It is also known he conceived a child with another member of his race, whom they named Inzek. As the years went on, Ankum would mentor Inzek in the ways of combat, eventually seeing her join the ranks of the Water Tribe alongside him. Inzek's mother would later die under unknown circumstances shortly after Inzek was born, which left Ankum deeply distraught as he raised their child alone. Core War Much later, the Core War erupted. Ankum was enlisted as a soldier of the Water Tribe along with his daughter, and eventually obtained the high-ranking position of admiral within the water army. Because of the war, Ankum and Morkain began to drift apart when the war began to consume Ankum's time and attention. Near the end of the war, the Element Lord of Water learned of the existence of a second spring of Energized Protodermis, which was located deep within the Black Spike Mountains. As he was one of the few that knew of its location, the Element Lord sent a troop of Water Tribe warriors and Agori under the command of Ankum to capture it from the Rock Tribe, whose Element Lord had also learned of the spring's existence. Ankum, Inzek, and their warriors set out to accomplish this task and succeed, as they manged to claim the spring and hold off Skrall attacks for about a week while waiting for the Water Tribe to send reinforcements. During this time, Ankum and Inzek lead a small group of warriors on a reconnaissance mission to search for any hidden enemy bases, occasionally coming into conflict with Skrall patrols. After their latest search, Inzek managed to persuade Ankum into leading the warriors back to the main troop, having encountered nothing more than a few Skrall. After deciding to begin the trip the next morning, Ankum was confronted by a messenger who related to him the latest developments of the war, revealing that groups from the various other tribes were readying themselves for an attack on his troops. Before Ankum could give the warriors of his group the order to return to the main troop, however, they were confronted by a group of Ice and Sand Tribe warriors under the leadership of Gaqual and Zecrek, who had forged a temporary alliance. During the following conflict, Ankum faced off against Gaqual, eventually managing to force her to the ground. When Ankum ordered Gaqual to surrender, she revealed that the troops of the Ice and Sand Tribes had located the energized Protodermis spring, and, along with the troops of the other three tribes, were making their move to capture it. This gave the Ice Tribe warrior the chance she needed to strike back at Ankum, sending the older warrior sprawling. She then loomed over Ankum, commanding him to surrender, only to be tackled and momentarily stunned by Inzek. Taking a moment to recover, Ankum and Inzek were soon greeted by a series of powerful tremors that rocked the area. After witnessing Zecrek and Gaqual making a hasty retreat, Ankum, Inzek, and their men were forced to ride out the strongest of the tremors. Though Ankum gave Inzek the order to retreat and save herself, his daughter refused, staying by his side instead. Moments later, Spherus Magna broke apart into three fragments in an event later known as the Shattering, stranding Ankum and many others on the largest chunk, Bara Magna. Post-Core War After the Shattering occurred, Ankum and his surviving warriors made their way back to the spring that they had been guarding, only to find the fighters of various other tribes standing there, all having attempted to claim control of the energized Protodermis spring. With the spring empty, and the numerous warriors bickering and arguing of the cause of the cataclysm, Ankum took note of the two new moons (which were actually the regions of Bota Magna and Aqua Magna) orbiting the planet, and revealed this to the others after gaining their attention. Insisting that in order to survive they needed to work together, Ankum and the other villagers decided to set aside their differences and work together to leave the valley they were trapped in. However, after two years of trying, the group were unable to leave the region, and those that departed were killed by the freezing temperatures of the Black Spike Mountains. As the villagers who had stayed behind began to loose hope, Ankum was forced repeatedly into taking up the role of leadership. Eventually, the savage winter passed, though Ankum and Inzek remained cautious, and headed towards the southern regions to scout them out in order to deem their safety. Traveling into the wastelands, Ankum and Inzek discovered what remained of the six tribes of Spherus Magna, and their newly developed Glatorian system. Returning to their valley, the pair revealed what they had discovered, only to find that the villagers they had banded with were unwilling to return to their original tribes, having formed close friendships with each other during the course of the winter. With their newly found bonds, the warriors threw themselves into the construction of a new village, which upon completion, was named Endolise. In recognition for his efforts, Ankum's tribesmen elected him leader of their society. Eventually, however, after spending many years in isolation, Ankum and his tribe were forced to relocate to a spot somewhere in the mountains that lie between the Black Spikes and White Quartz Mountains. There, Ankum, and several other members of numerous tribes, established an underground village they named New Endolise. Isolating themselves off from the rest of the world, the new tribe flourished, with Ankum becoming the village's elder. Society of Guardians At some point in the past, Ankum was approached by a member of the secretive Society of Guardians, and was recruited into the group as one of their Bara Magna operatives. He was later paired with a fellow Glatorian named Drezdak, and tasked with keeping an eye on major events that unfolded on his world. Soon, a group of his tribe's warriors, including Gaqual, went missing; prompting Ankum to send his friends into the wastelands in order to try and find them. Eventually, Ankum and the others learned that the warriors of the other Agori tribes were disappearing, and suspicion was immediatly thrown onto the Rock Tribe, though was alter dropped when they learned that their warriors were also vanishing. A time later, Ankum was informed by a Society member named Mersery that a mutant Skrall named Verex would be arriving in his village soon, a warrior whose destiny the Society's leader, Krataka, suspected would play a critical role in future events. Mersery instructed him to ensure that Verex would go down the right path in his life, and in case he strayed onto a darker one, he was ordered to kill the Skrall to prevent him from becoming a threat. Distraught by this mission, Ankum decided to contact his former mentor, Morkain. In the midst of his meditation, he called out to Morkain, and the entity appeared before him. Aplogizing for the ways he had misused Morkain's teachings during the war, Ankum revealed the predicament he was currently in and asked for guidance. Morkain gave what advise he could to the tribe leader and then gave Ankum a jewel-like object, asking him to keep it safe for a time, before quickly vanishing. A week later, Inzek and several other villagers returned with a trio of travelers consisting of Verex, Ranzesk, and Drex, whom they had captured whilst out on patrol. Feeling they knew something, Inzek brought Verex before Ankum, who decided they were not their enemy. Escorting them into one of his chambers, Ankum informed the weary travelers of his past. later, he was approached by Verex and his Agori friends, who requested the elder train Verex to master his new form. However, Ankum flatly refused, believing Verex would misuse his teachings for vengeance over Tuma. However, when Inzek arrived following another search for Gaqual and other missing villagers, Ankum informed the Skrall and his companions of his people's situation, and reluctantly agreed to give Verex the skills he desired if he could recover Gaqual and her fellow missing tribesmen. More recently, Ankum sent Inzek to infiltrate the ranks of the Skrall Skirvex, who Ankum suspected of being behind the recent abductions. When she returned to Ankum's outpost just north of Roxtus with a progress report, she revealed to Ankum and Drezdak that if she found her ally Verex or any of his companions undergoing the process that would convert them to Skirvex's side, she would rescue them no matter what. Ankum then proceeded to comfort Drezdak, who felt somewhat uncertain about what Inzek might attempt to do. Ankum later returned to New Endolise. Later, shortly after the Battle of Roxtus and the Rock Tribe's subsequent defeat, Ankum was approached by Korjek, who had spotted a splinter group of Skrall and Rock Agori headed for New Endolise. Despite Korjek's own concerns, Ankum calmly dismissed them, and departed with the mutant Glatorian to meet the Skrall warriors. Encountering the group's leader, Ravnek, the pair learned of his group's dislike of Tuma's rule, and revealed their intentions of finding a new home. Ankum welcomed the Skrall to New Endolise, with Korjek questioning Ankum on his previous knowledge of Ravenk's arrival, with Ankum promising to tell him how he gained this information. Abilities and Traits A wise and calm person by nature, Ankum acts as a mentor to several of the people he has met in his life. He knows how to dispel fear and doubt in others and keep them in a positive mood. As a master of combat, Ankum is a force to be respected in battle, despite his advanced age. He is gifted in swordplay, and can fire his Thornax launcher with frightening accuracy. As with all agents of the Society, Ankum can shield his mind from telepathy and mental attacks. Tools Ankum has utilized numerous weapons and tools over the centuries. One such weapon was a large sword tipped with a Thornax launcher, the same one the Skrall Verex would come to use. In more recent years, Ankum, due to advanced age commonly carries a simple staff. When he does do battle, however, he is known to wield a curved sword and a Thornax launcher. Trivia *Whilst a member of the Glatorian species, Ankum never adopted the actual occupation of Glatorian since he was never included in the social system. Appearances Storyline Appearances *''Sands of Change'' *''Society of Guardians'' Non-Storyline Appearances *''Dark Realities'' Category:User:Toa Hydros Category:Glatorian Category:Society of Guardians Category:Water Tribe